bat mitz·vah
bät-ˈmits-və 
variants
or less commonly bas mitzvah
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish girl who at 12 or more years of age assumes religious responsibilities
2
: the initiatory ceremony recognizing a girl as a bat mitzvah
variants
or less commonly bas mitzvah
bat mitzvahed also bas mitzvahed; bat mitzvahing also bas mitzvahing
: to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to
Examples of bat mitzvah in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024
In the film Between Two Temples, released last month, a retired music teacher in upstate New York undergoes bat mitzvah preparations in late adulthood, mirroring real-life rituals in the Jewish tradition offered to older congregants at certain synagogues.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2024
Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2020
For Sunny's bat mitzvah in May 2022, Adam again turned to his celebrity friends to make the party extra special.
—Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for bat mitzvah 
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Noun
The song became ubiquitous — a staple of countless weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and literally any place where there’s a party going on right here.
—Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024
In the film Between Two Temples, released last month, a retired music teacher in upstate New York undergoes bat mitzvah preparations in late adulthood, mirroring real-life rituals in the Jewish tradition offered to older congregants at certain synagogues.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2024
Verb
Our granddaughter is having her bat mitzvah next month, in North Carolina.
—Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2020
For Sunny's bat mitzvah in May 2022, Adam again turned to his celebrity friends to make the party extra special.
—Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for bat mitzvah
Dictionary Entries Near bat mitzvah
Cite this Entry
“Bat mitzvah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bat%20mitzvah. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bat mitzvah
1 of 2 noun
bat mitz·vah
bät-ˈmits-və
variants
also bas mitzvah
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish girl who at about 12 years of age takes on religious responsibilities
2
: the ceremony recognizing a girl as a bat mitzvah
bat mitzvah
2 of 2 verb
variants
also bas mitzvah
bat mitzvahed also bas mitzvahed; bat mitzvahing also bas mitzvahing
: to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to
Etymology
Noun
from Hebrew bath miṣwāh, literally, "daughter of the (divine) law"
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